Russell Petranto is man behind Toms River National's slugging prowess

Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerRussell Petranto of Toms River National, whose father, also named Russell, oversees the team's hitting, smacks one of his two home runs in a long ball hitting competition Friday morning before opening ceremonies of the Little League World Series.

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Russell Petranto enjoys making a living as a podiatrist in Toms River.

But his true passion, the one he invests countless hours of his time on, is mending something else: the hitting swings — or “pushes” as he believes they should be called — of the 13 Little League all-stars from Toms River National.

“He loves to hit,” said Petranto’s son, also named Russell, who plays second base and leads the team with 16 home runs. “He could hit all day.”

The man behind Toms River National’s prolific success at the plate, the elder Petranto has turned a group of youngsters into a nightmare for opposing pitchers, the result of teaching them the fundamentals of hitting at each and every practice this season.

“The truth is, I wasn’t a great hitter myself,” said Petranto, who played high school baseball for the Hun School in Princeton. “I moved around in the batting order a lot. ... But when my son Russell was little, I noticed he had a gift for hitting — and we’ve been working on it ever since. I’ve researched it. I’ve read it. And I understand it at this level.”

Toms River National (21-3), which will play Hamilton, Ohio, in its first game of the Little League World Series this morning (11 a.m., ESPN), has averaged nearly 12 runs and four home runs per game during its run. And some of that success has to be attributed to Petranto, the hitting guru who stands and watches each of his batters take swings off the tee during practice.

“There’s this great book called ‘Outliers,’ ” Petranto said. “The author discusses people that have overachieved in their life and one of the people he talks about is (49ers Hall of Fame wide receiver) Jerry Rice.

“Rice was able to overachieve because he utilized what’s called ‘deliberate practice,’ which means practicing with a focus to correct what you’ve done wrong on your previous times in whatever you’re doing. ... That’s what I’ve tried to teach these kids.”

Petranto’s hitting philosophy, the one he has tried to instill in his players, is based on position and motion. He concerns himself with the position of their feet (a little more than shoulder distance apart, toed in), their torso (pelvis and shoulder pointed toward the pitcher), and their hands and arms (forming a box).

“And I always tell them, ‘You don’t swing the bat,’ ” Petranto said. “They lied to us during our childhood. We push the bat. It’s a push. You’re actually taking your hands and you’re pushing the head of the bat at the ball. ... When you come through the zone and the ball hits the bat, your top hand is up.”

As frustrating as it can be for the youngsters, especially during the dreaded tee drill, they know they probably wouldn’t be in Williamsport right now without Petranto’s tutelage.

“He’s helped our bats so much this year,” said slugging center fielder Kevin Blum, who hit six of his home runs in consecutive at-bats during the Mid-Atlantic Regional. “Our hitting has been phenomenal.”

Unfortunately, due to Little League World Series regulations that specify that each team can only carry two assistant coaches and the manager, Petranto, normally a behind-the-scenes coach, will be unable to work with the team. But he still feels their potent bats will stay strong.

“I want to be there with them,” Petranto said. “But I know they’re going to get it done. This group is just so talented.

“As much as I want to take credit, it’s really not about me. It’s the kids that make us look like we’re good coaches. It’s these kids that are great ballplayers.”
Mike Mazzeo: mmazzeo@starledger.com

Toms River little leaguers remember to have fun at the World Series

Toms River little leaguers remember to have fun at the World Series With Toms River's first game still a day a way, we explore the other festivities going in Williamsport. And who better to tell us about it than one of the National players. The Star-Ledger's Michael Monday and pitcher/outfielder Kevin Blum discuss the team's living quarters, what they do in their down time, the parade and the opening ceremony. (Video by Michael Monday/The Star-Ledger)